Q: getting a powerbook duo 230 online *help*

ports it has on the back are one for a mouse and one for a modem or something o_O it looks the same as the mouse port but its covered by a telephone symbol so i assume its for a modem.

The first one pictured is a particular type of Serial port called a GeoPort that has extra signals to support a special Apple modem cleverly called GeoPort Modem. It also supports a regular modem using a cable that may have eight or fewer pins.

It also has a expansion port thing,with 2 ports 1 for a floppy drive which i have and i dont know what the other is.

That appears to be a Mini-Dock. The second, four pin round connector pictured is an ADB port, for keyboards and mice mostly. It is the precursor of USB, but never got the traction it needed to really take off.

The 30-pin square connector is an HDI-30 SCSI connector. It can use a Powerbook cable to convert to DB-25 or third-party cables to convert to C-50 SCSI connectors.

You don't have a way to use Ethernet or make a connection to your MacBook for Internet. You can use an AppleTalk Bridge to get File Sharing (through 10.3) and Printer Sharing over Appletalk, but nothing that yields the required IP Address needed for Internet Access. You would be limited to dial-up unless you can find a stunt-box that provides, say, SCSI to Ethernet.

It appears that a DuoDock II, intended for color Duos but backward compatible, would give you an AAUI Ethernet port, which with a US$5 transceiver, would get you on the Internet using your Router or sharing your MacBook connection.

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/powerbookduo/stats/mac_powerbook_duodockii.html

When these Macs were issued, they wanted to have Ethernet, but it was not clear what wiring medium was going to win out for Ethernet. There was single baseband coax, double baseband coax, Broadband coax, two-twisted pairs, four twisted pairs, and probably others.

AAUI is about a 15-pin connection that leaves the Ethernet port "uncommitted" as to what wiring scheme you want to use. Just add your own transceiver, and you customize the Ethernet port into whatever wiring scheme you need. Today it seems like foolishness, because all we use inside is two-twisted pairs with an RJ45 connector for moderate speed Ethernet.

Here is an eBay search that finds some:

eBay search in: Computers & Networking > Apple Computers & Components for "transceiver (twisted, RJ45, Ethernet, M0437)"

Hi,

the only ports it has on the back are one for a mouse and one for a modem

In fact, one port (with a handset/printer icon) is a serial MiniDIN-8 port for an external modem or a printer.

Since the other port (the one in the picture; with a full telephone icon) does not have a cover plate, your PowerBook 230 appears to be equipped with a built-in modem. When this is a round MiniDIN-8 port (not a square RJ-11 phone jack), an external Data Access Arrangement (DAA) is needed. The DAA is a box with a short lead (MiniDIN-8 plug) and a connector for the phone line. The DAAs were specific for each country.

It also has a expansion port thing,with 2 ports 1 for a floppy drive which i have and i dont know what the other is.

The unit in the picture (with one HDI-20 and one ADB port) is a PowerBook Duo Floppy Adapter (for use with the separate Macintosh HDI-20 External 1.4 MB Floppy Disk Drive). See also this document.

Is their a way i can hook it up to my macbook and feed it an internet connection?

If you can locate a DAA, and if the appropriate Express Modem software is installed, the PowerBook should be ready for a dial-up connection. For the Internet, the required TCP/IP software (a MacTCP control panel), a PPP program, an email application and possibly a (text-based) web browser would have to be added.

If necessary, modem and newer system software is available for download from Apple (here). For some file transfer possibilities, see this document.

Manuals can be found via this web page.

Jan

Jan-

My apologies for jumping to the conclusion that any square connector on a PowerBook must be an HDI-30 SCSI. I enlarged that picture and counted -- only 20 pins. I stand corrected on that one.

I have not heard of the DAA set-up, but I certainly defer to you on that one, too.

Hello Grant,

No problem. Absolutely no need to apologise. I own a Macintosh PowerBook Duo Floppy Adapter, and therefore recognised the port (otherwise, HDI-30 SCSI would have been my first thought, too).

Apparently, older PowerBook internal modems in the United States (normally) had RJ-11 ports. In order to be able to adapt to local regulations, and to avoid special modems for each country, the external DAA solution was chosen by Apple internationally at that time (later, all Macs were designed with RJ-11 ports).

Regards,

Jan

Hi,

On my PowerBook Duo 270, the space at the full telephone icon has a square cover plate (and no internal modem). The space at the handset/printer icon has a MiniDIN-8F port. In your case, there are MiniDIN-8 connectors on both sides, so I have to assume that there is an internal modem card. My Swedish DAAs (for other older PowerBook internal modems) have normal MiniDIN-8M plugs.

You would need an appropriate (UK) DAA to connect an internal modem to the phone lines. Do not use anything else with the full telephone icon port.

Have a look at the various control panels to begin with (anything indicating that there is a modem?). Providing that the correct modem software is installed, you may be able to use terminal emulation software (e.g., the communications part of ClarisWorks) to send AT commands in order to test the the internal modem.

The other port (handset/printer icon) can be tested with a normal external serial modem. These modems often have a (PC-style) DB-25F connector. If so, use a MiniDIN-8M to DB-25M Mac (hardware handshake) modem cable.

Jan

Correction

On my PowerBook Duo 270

It is a PowerBook Duo 280, but that should not change anything.

Hi, I pulled out my Duo 230. Here is a photo of the back panel.



From left to right, if you have a modem it is under the left swiveling foot, next is the reset button, followed by the Dock connector, the power jack and under the right swivel foot the printer/modem connector which is switchable in your control panels. This connector btw is not a Geoport connector as the 230 has no DSP that the AV macs had.

Although you have an oddity there, I didn't realize until just now that instead of a phone jack in the modem port you have a mini din which means you have an international modem port according to the Apple service manual which makes sense because you are in the UK.

To get it on the internet is going to be fun without a dock since a Dock II has built in 10T ethernet (note that it will be stamped Duo Dock II). The Dock I required a nubus card. Only downside with a Dock is that it's max resolution is thousands of colours at 832x624. I have some more photos here, http://www.kevinomura.com/powerbooks/duodock/index.html

Farallon made a product called Etherwave and a special version for PowerBooks that drew it's power from the ADB port and plugged into the moden/printer port. This allowed you to hook up your PowerBook to ethernet. They are quite rare though and none on eBay at the moment.

If you had a SCSI mini dock then you could find the Asante EN/SC ethernet to scsi adaptor which again is quite rare. I found one on eBay here, [link|http://cgi.ebay.com/USED-SURPLUS-ASANTE-MINI-EN-SC-ETHERNET-ADAPTERW0QQitemZ370170139246QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item370170139246 &_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1% 7C294%3A50]

But it does not have it's ADB power cable so it is kind of useless since it doesn't have a source of power.

There is another one here,

[link|http://cgi.ebay.com/Asante-Micro-EN-SC-Portable-SCSI-Ethernet-AdapterW0QQitemZ320342768178QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCOMP_EN_Networking_Components?hash=item3 20342768178&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1% 7C294%3A50]

but it is rather insanely priced. It does have it's power adaptor though..... at this price point a Dock would make more sense personally.

Kevin

Message was edited by: Moderator

A Duo Dock solution would be a nice addition. However, you already have most of the tools needed to get the PowerBook Duo 230 online.

You have a floppy drive, so extra software could be transferred to the Duo on 1.44 MB floppies. With the correct technique, you could even use a PC for downloads.

The Duo has an internal modem. As mentioned earlier, a DAA would be needed. Some more facts about the DAA: It is a grey box (approx. 77 x 41 x 24 mm) with a built-in RJ-style phone jack and a cable (a bit longer than 130 mm, including the MiniDIN-8M plug). It should say something like Apple Express Modem DAA on the label (Macintosh PowerBook Fax/Data Modem units with the same dimensions ought to be equally useful). The Swedish DAAs have an S in the lower right corner of the label, so expect a country code there.

If necessary, the Express Modem software for a British operating system can be found here (the US software is here).

The Express Fax Modem User's Guide here could possibly be of some interest (may not be fully applicable in this very case).

Jan